Matthew Tierney talks to Black Coffee Poet about his gruelling writing process, his exhilarating travel adventures, and his optimism about the future of poetry. He also dispenses some advice for the kids.

Black Coffee Poet: With people having much shorter attention spans these days do you see poetry having a comeback?

Matthew Tierney: Poetry is in its happy place, as far as I can tell. I’m told the eighties (for e.g.) were horrible for poets. So first we should consider how good we have it. Poetry’s already come back and it’s wearing a tuxedo T-shirt.

Reading poetry takes more attention than populist forms of entertainment. If people in increasing numbers are reading and writing poetry (I’ve no hard data but it sounds like a “fun fact”), then it’s likely because it has an intellectual and emotional pull not found in the Cineplex or on your PVR. Poetry’s gravitational constant is just higher.

I’d be much more concerned if I were a literary novelist. Those long-running HBO shows are damn good. But as I said there’s nothing out there like poetry. For the individual drawn to it there are no substitutes and hence no competition.

BCP: You are working on your third collection now. What have you learned since your first collection? How do you think you have grown as a poet?

MT: I’m better. It’s not even important I’m right but if I don’t believe I’m better then all is lost. Though that happens sometimes too. Lost is ugly.

There are specific ways I’ve grown. The only ones I feel safe articulating, the ones that’ll hold till my next anxiety attack, are these: I’m a keener reader than I once was, I work harder and award myself fewer flights of self-congratulation, and I know when to abandon a poem.

What's New?

In commemoration of Coach House's 50th Anniversary this year, publisher Stan Bevington responded to his sister's plea to clean house - and donated all 212 pristine books he had been sending to his mother since 1965 to the University of Alberta's Bruce Peel Special Collections Library.

This morning at Coach House we're all giving Brecken Hancock a great big group hug and want you all to join us in congratulating her on her big win last night. Her first poetry collection, Broom Broom, won the 2015 Language Trillium Book Award for Poetry (English Language), which comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts has awarded Coach House's own Jordan Tannahill the 36th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Award, a prize that celebrates excellence in Toronto theatre, dance and opera. The ceremony was held Monday evening (June 22nd) at the Harbourfront Centre, where 50 prizes in total were awarded to members of Toronto's vibrant performing arts scene.

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We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council of the Arts, the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Media Development Corporation for our publishing activities.